Romance Town: Episodes 19-20 (Final)

by kaedejun

It’s the end!!! That means no more Jung Gyu Woon. *Sob.* I hope you enjoy this two-episode mega-recap! And now, on to the “Adventures of a Flying Ticket!”

SONG OF THE DAY

잘될 거야 – Kim Geu Rim “Romance Town” OST [download]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The ticket flies up and up to a tree branch, getting stuck before a wind blows it down near the grates. It miraculously doesn’t slip through, and flies onto the street – and then flies again due to the passing cars. It flies up and lands on the back of a pickup truck, which is heading for Jang Bong Island. It rests comfortably in a pocket of a bag that’s in that pickup truck, and rides across the ferry, through the small town, where it once again flies… and lands on the outside table of Granny Choon Jak’s house.

Before you go “What the hell?!” let me just say that this Flying Ticket has had QUITE the adventure with the whimsical music playing in the background. Hilarious.

Everyone else rushes to the bank to try and claim the ticket portion that only says “#334.” They look at the clerk expectantly, but he only stares back skeptically. He makes a call to the prosecutor, saying that the ticket is being redeemed, and that’s when Bong Yi spots Soon Geum. Bong Yi can’t help them either as they don’t even have the portion of the ticket with the winning numbers. There’s no way they can verify it’s the winning ticket. That’s when the prosecutor enters.

He questions all of them: Who owns the ticket? The maids declare that they do. Soon Geum says that the CCTV at the convenience store even caught her purchasing the ticket. So why did they take so long in redeeming it? Once again, Soon Geum answers honestly: they were fighting amongst themselves and had only reached a compromise. OK…so why is Kang Tae Won here?

That – Tae Won struggles for an answer. In front of everyone, he grimaces, “Because…Soon Geum is my daughter in law, and that boy is my son.” Everyone is slack jawed that it would take a moment like this to make him admit that Soon Geum is part of his family. Gun Woo is disgusted, but when the prosecutor asks if it’s true, they all rush to affirm Tae Won’s statement.

In the elevator, everyone is silent and frustrated, afraid that they’re going to lose the money, with Tae Won the angriest of them all because he could only get half of the jackpot. The maids are all depressed too, because now they only have half their winnings. They all leave Young Hee, Soon Geum, and Gun Woo behind, who are planning to eat some jajangmyun. But that’s when Gun Woo gets a call from the village head – he needs to come to Jang Bong Island because Choon Jak passed away, and she left all of her possessions to him.

The village leader also happens to sit on the ticket, and when it gets stuck on his pants, he brushes it off and it drops into the metal box used to burn charcoal for barbecue.

Back at home, Tae Won lashes out at Yoon Joo by noting that ever since she arrived at his household, he’s been leaking money everywhere, and blames his bankruptcy on her. He puts her to shame for spending so much compared to the maids, who have to struggle for every penny. Ha! Like she’s going to take that sitting down – what about him and his infidelity? Everyone knows that he’s the true father of San, and has done nothing to raise the boy after betraying the mother. She wanted a child too, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, she had to live fearing that he’d impregnate some other woman. Even though she spent money, she wasn’t happy.

While Yoon Joo is being blamed for being partially at fault for losing the ticket, Hyun Joo is likewise being beaten up by the Three Maids, who are so angry that she just let go of the ticket so easily. Despite Hyun Joo’s feeble apologies, they can’t forgive her for losing their only chance at a new life. They beat her up uselessly with pillows, more to let go of their frustrations than because they truly despise her.

Meanwhile, Sang Hoon meets his friend Bong Yi for dinner. He’s so happy that Soon Geum might get married soon, thanks to her new windfall. However, Bong Yi informs him that because they lost half of the ticket, Soon Geum won’t actually be a lotto winner anymore. Sang Hoon stands up in outrage – Bong Yi is just kidding with him right? He begs desperately for Bong Yi to hand over the prize – he and Soon Geum are poor and uneducated. Money is the only thing that could help them improve their status in life!

That evening, Hyun Joo and Yoon Joo end up drinking themselves to a stupor in a pojangmacha. They throw insults at each other, blaming the other for losing the ticket. Yoon Joo finally mentions first that it’s both their faults. They both lost the 9.5 billion, and so they both are equally to blame. Doing the math, each one is responsible for losing 4.75 billion. That’s enough to make both gals cry out in anger and despair.

Hwang Yong manages to get out of jail early due to his daughter’s help. He’ll continue to be investigated but won’t be in custody. Soo Jung even drops by with some white tofu for him to eat. Though she is nervous about being in the presence of a former gangster, she can’t help but confess that she knows what happened to his black book. Hyun Joo had taken it to protect his secret from the prosecutor, and then burned it so that no one would know what he did. And she expects nothing in return. “She doesn’t want anything from you, and she’s going to leave! That frustrating girl…Even then, does Hyun Joo still not qualify? Does she still have no right to like you?”

That puts things in perspective for Hwang Yong, and he sees Hyun Joo stumbling into the kitchen, drunk. Hyun Joo completely ignores him though, and wordlessly slams the door to her room. The next morning, Hwang Yong goes to look for her but she’s already gone. She’s gone to look for another job, except it’s hard to find a maid position where they provide food and shelter.

Soon Geum and Gun Woo head over to Jang Bong Island for Choon Jak’s funeral. He visits her old home, where everything now belongs to him, and finds that Choon Jak had wanted to feed him some clams before she left. They cook them all to eat in her memory, using the charcoal metal box to cook it. And yes, Gun Woo lights a charcoal piece. And yes, he lets it burn the lottery ticket. No one notices it quietly burn and the numbers melt off.

As they eat, Soon Geum proposes that perhaps they move to this house. All they need is each other, and they can sustain themselves living a life as those clam farmers and sell their goods at the market. Soon Geum really doesn’t want to go back to Seoul after all that has happened. Gun Woo realizes that Soon Geum must have been scared the whole time living in his house, despite her tough act in front of his father. He holds her hand, and then thinks, “Should we stop meeting each other?”

WHAT?! You gonna break up with her after all that?!

They head home, only to find out that Tae Won has already replaced Soon Geum with a new maid. The new maid is ordered to bring out Soon Geum’s luggage, all of which have been packed up already. Gun Woo yells at his father, but to no avail. They can blame Tae Won for firing her over the lottery ticket, but Tae Won will not accept a maid for his daughter-in-law; he will not let her bring the family down. He’s already decided to retire from his company because he feels so embarrassed. His pride has been hurt, and his wealth gone.

He takes the luggage outside, and voila – Sang Hoon is already there waiting for his daughter. Tae Won had called Sang Hoon earlier. Sang Hoon thinks it’s his fault his daughter is being rejected, but she assures him it’s not.

Inside, Yoon Joo asks if Tae Won wants to get rid of her too, since he already did so with Soon Geum. He’s surprised she refuses to apologize, and she reasons that because she no longer can ask money from him, she’s not going to tiptoe around him anymore. Yoon Joo wants a divorce; the lottery money she lost will be her alimony, and she’ll say that he provided for her well. She turns to leave, and Tae Won jealously asks if she’s going to Hwang Yong now. Yoon Joo knows Tae Won reported Hwang Yong to the police, but she didn’t do anything to help him either when he needed it. She won’t be going to Hwang Yong anytime soon now.

And with that, she packs her bags and leaves 1st Street on foot.

At the same time, Hyun Joo leaves Hwang Yong’s house, her bags also packed. The two of them pass by Young Hee, Zar Lin, and Soo Jung, who are surprised to see the both of them leave. Hyun Joo goes over to them and tearfully apologizes: she’s sorry for having taken the ticket and running to the airport, for demanding an equal share, for carelessly losing the ticket. For all that, she’s sorry for the rest of her life.

Now it’s Yoon Joo, Hyun Joo, and Soon Geum with her father all leaving 1st Street in separate taxis.

Gun Woo enters his father’s office. He’s absolutely ashamed to be his father’s son, and feels terrible that he could not be a better man than his father. Because he ends up feeling scared about not having money, he feels like he’s not even a true man who would go after the woman he loves. Soon Geum was able to handle all of Tae Won’s insults because she loved Gun Woo, but after seeing Tae Won belittle her and her father in front of each other, Gun Woo couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to be able to stay by his father’s side, despite being embarrassed of him, but now finds that he can’t. So he decides that he’s going back to the States, and leaving his father completely alone.

Gun Woo heads over to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance to see if there’s any way possible to redeem the lottery ticket. An official takes a look at the half of the ticket that he does have and finds that there is a way to claim it. There’s a string of coded numbers in the top half of the ticket that contains all the information about the ticket: when it was bought, what the numbers were, etc. However, since this is the first time it’s ever happened to the lottery bureau, they’ll have to set up a committee and fully investigate it.

There’s hope for winnings yet!

Gun Woo drives over to Soon Geum’s new apartment, which she bought for her friend Shi Ah. He presents food for her – ramen! She invites him inside but he wants to be alone with her only, so he takes her out to a park. First thing he notices? Her shorts are too short. Soon Geum smiles – did he know that she used to be a big flirt in school? She asks for updates about the household as she eats, and that’s when Gun Woo drops a bomb: “Let’s stop seeing each other.”

Soon Geum is shocked – he’s kidding right? Gun Woo: “Wear shorts. Don’t cook. And don’t meet someone like my father and end up getting scolded. Live comfortably…have fun…be a flirt.” This is his way of sending her off, as if they ran away together, his father would hound them to the end. He acknowledges that he is being a coward, since he wants to run away too to the States, so she should find a better man than him.

Soon Geum cries, hurt that after all her suffering this is how it comes to an end. He hugs her as she beats him feebly – he should have gotten her a diamond ring instead of instant ramen if he was going to break up with her! She pushes him away and leaves, but he grabs her wrist. He wipes the tears from her face and then kisses her. When he pulls away, there are tears in his eyes as well. Soon Geum: “Don’t go.” And he kisses her again. Soon Geum: “You’re not leaving, right?” And he kisses her again, this time even more deeply.

AUGHHHH! It’s like there are butterflies in my stomach as my heart is being ripped to shreds.

On the other side of town, Hyun Joo is now working at a small restaurant. Her last remaining customer is Hwang Yong. He thanks her for the dumplings she made while covering up the book. Hyun Joo tells him not to think too much of it; she only hid the book to save Soon Geum. Hwang Yong owes her a big debt, and he’s willing to repay it however way she wants – money, a new house, even himself. He doesn’t mean to treat her pathetically, but he’s afraid of her. Hyun Joo just wants him out; he can pay for the soondooboo stew he ate but that’s it. She can’t open her heart up to any man right now, and she wants nothing from him.

The next day, the Three Maids and Young Hee sit on his lawn to drink some beer. They notice Tae Won, and Soo Jung is more brazen now, ignoring him instead of greeting him at all. They make fun of him, noting that he must enjoy being alone because everyone left his household. Ha – and Tae Won can’t do anythign about it.

But it’s news to Young Hee – he didn’t know that Gun Woo was leaving for the States! He barges into Gun Woo’s room, where he’s packing, and punches the guy in the face. Gun Woo only smiles. Young Hee is pissed off – “You’re not even worth my punches.”

Young Hee heads over to Soon Geum’s, angry that she’s letting Gun Woo go like this. She should have quit being a maid a lot earlier if it was going to end up like this. Soon Geum insists they’re not over yet, as they still love each other. Young Hee thinks she doesn’t know, and so he drags her to the airport.

If Soon Geum can’t convince Gun Woo to stay, Young Hee will assume that they’re over and he will pursue her even more. He will interfere now, knowing that the two of them really want each other. But after that? He will make her his girlfriend. If she doesn’t want that, then she better hustle over and get Gun Woo to stay.

Meanwhile – a decision has been made about the lottery ticket reevaluation. The official Gun Woo spoke to looks at the report with a smile on his face. His assistant asks if he should call tomorrow, but I’m yelling, “CALL NOW! HE’S GETTING ON A PLANE!!”

Soon Geum catches Gun Woo just before he enters the security gate. Is he leaving only temporarily? Gun Woo says he’ll come back when he can forget about her, and doesn’t think about her anymore. Soon Geum: “So… you’ll be gone forever?!” Gun Woo: “Maybe.”

He gets his ticket and passport checked, and slowly heads for the gates.

6 MONTHS LATER. It’s October.

Soon Geum is checking the mail for her apartment and comes upon a letter from Gun Woo! Inside is the top half of the ticket and a letter; the committee has reevaluated their case. If no one has come forward to claim the prize on ticket 334 by October 4 at 4pm, then the maids can get their money.

Of course, that sends the Three Maids into an excitable frenzy. On the other hand, Soon Geum is still missing Gun Woo.

Tae Won hasn’t been idle the past six months either. He has had his men check and make sure that no one has come forward in the past six months to claim the prize. He too knows about the 6-month deadline, and so on that day, he heads over to the bank and meets the maids and Young Hee.

The maids wonder what he’s doing there, and he announces that he’s come to claim his share of the prize. Though they don’t welcome him, Soon Geum lets him join them. Bong Yi is staring at the clock, waiting as the minutes tick by til 4pm. He finally gives up: “No one else is coming, so let’s just do this ok?” YAY!

All the maids present their ID cards so that the money can be divided between them. Young Hee is nice enough to say that 4.5 billion Won will be going to Tae Won, and the remaining 5 billion will go to the maids. That’s all fine – as long as Tae Won has his ID card.

But Tae Won doesn’t have it. He also still remembers all too clearly when he nearly got caught by the prosecutor in wanting to claim the ticket. As the seconds tick by, Tae Won finally musters enough energy to say, “Give my share to Soon Geum. Give her the 4.5 billion!”

It sounds like he may have had a change of heart, but everyone knows that he’ll ask for it from Soon Geum later. Sure enough, Tae Won demands his share as soon as they’re out of the bank. Soo Jung gets right in his face: how dare he expect them to give him money? They never wanted to in the first place, and he never treated Soon Geum well. He initially gave his share to Soon Geum because he knew she would be honest enough to give it back to him later, and yet disapproves of her as a daughter in law?! What is up with that?!

Tae Won just rages, and pushes Soo Jung away. Cue Hwang Yong and his mighty legion of gangsters! (They totally outnumber Tae Won’s feeble showing of henchmen.) Hwang Yong knew that they’d come to claim the ticket as he overheard the maids calling for Zar Lin before. He makes the point that Gun Woo sent the ticket to Soon Geum, not his father – hence he doesn’t want his father to get a single cent.

But Soon Geum promises to give Tae Won his money, on the condition that he sincerely apologizes to her father. Ha! That’s gonna be difficult.

That evening, Tae Won shares a drink with Sang Hoon, and instead of apologizing, he makes it look like he’s the victim, and that Soon Geum is not being a moral girl for just giving him the money. Instead she’s making him do things he’s not even at fault for doing. Sang Hoon nods in understanding, and then they both go outside to where Soon Geum is waiting anxiously.

Sang Hoon: You have the president’s money right? The president said that he’s giving the money to you. He said for you to keep it all. He’s sorry for causing so much heartache and wants to apologize to you.

Tae Won: What!? The father is so much like her, a thief! I didn’t do anything wrong! Why should I apologize?

Soon Geum: OK, dad.

Ha-HA! Revenge. But Tae Won’s troubles aren’t completely over. When he gets home, he gets a call from Hwang Yong, who knows that Tae Won filed the initial report against him. He informs Tae Won that everyone is meeting tomorrow at his home, and if he wants to get his money, he should come then.

Soon Geum meets up with Hyun Joo, who is so thrilled to hear that they’ve been able to get the money back. Hyun Joo adulates Gun Woo, but Soon Geum begs to differ – he didn’t even mention liking her or loving her in the letter he sent!

The next day, everyone gathers at Hwang Yong’s home, and even though it’s not their money, no one wants to hand over the cash to Tae Won. They all try to persuade Soon Geum to not give it – including Hwang Yong – but they tell Tae Won that if he would just acknowledge them if they see each other on the street, as equals, then all would be forgiven. But Tae Won refuses to budge from his prejudice – once a maid, always a maid. He will never acknowledge them as equals despite their newfound wealth.

Soon Geum disgustedly gives him the money. She expects nothing from him at all.

TWO YEARS LATER. Yes – one more time jump.

Gun Woo returns! Dressed looking a bit like a bum – albeit a hot one – he finds a small rooftop place to crash in and starts wandering around the neighborhood. He sees Soon Geum waitressing at a modest restaurant that she and her father run.

Meanwhile, Zar Lin, Soo Jung, and Da Kyum all go get facials at an exclusive spa, and they’re all not too sure about the proper etiquette when it comes to being treated. They decide to close their eyes and pretend they’re asleep – which ends up being a good thing because Yoon Joo enters to be Soo Jung’s facialist! They don’t see her until the facial is done, and all the maids greet her awkwardly. They offer to retract their membership, but Yoon Joo doesn’t care. They don’t have to do anything for her, and with grace, she thanks them and leaves.

It’s so clear that Yoon Joo feels awkward and somewhat hurt that she’s now servicing the people who used to service her, but her lack of attitude shows that she’s learned to become a bit more humble.

Gun Woo returns to the trading area to play with some more stocks. He sees a little kid next to him with his mother, and offers several lollipops: “Sweet? Sweeter? Or sour?” Kid goes for sour – heh. A couple of reporters wait in the seats behind him, and one of them recognizes Gun Woo as the Korean ingenue who made millions on the stock market back in New York. Despite showing Gun Woo a photo of him in a magazine, Gun Woo denies that he’s that Gun Woo.

Despite her job, Soon Geum is actually living it up with her new wealth, buying brand name sunglasses and wearing short shorts (like the flirt she used to be). She calls up Young Hee to meet him at the trading area, and that’s when she gets her first glimpse of Gun Woo. “What is he doing here!?” is her first thought.

She follows him all the way to his shabby rooftop home, and then barges in to see him lazily watching TV on the floor. Gun Woo gets up and offers a hand, saying that it’s been a long time, but she slaps him instead. Yowch. Gun Woo didn’t contact her because he wanted to earn some money first before seeing her again, but she’s so disappointed that he comes back so poor when he ditched her so spectacularly two years ago.

Gun Woo notes she hasn’t changed, but Soon Geum rejects his advances. She’s rich; therefore, she has higher standards.

That’s not entirely true though, because when she goes back to the restaurant to see Soo Jung and Da Kyum, she tells them miserably that Gun Woo is back. Her lingering feelings for him are so plainly written over her face, and she drinks to forget it all.

Tae Won visits his son’s apartment, having heard that his big shot son is back in Korea through the reporters. He wants to use his son’s success in New York and channel it towards his company, but Gun Woo flatly rejects him. First off, he has no money. Secondly, if Tae Won wanted him in the company, he should have asked if they could work together – as equals. Pshh – like Tae Won’s going to do that!

That morning, Soon Geum gets an early visitor to her apartment. It’s Gun Woo – and before she can close the door on him, he squeezes himself through the door. Soon Geum is so pissed that he’s here, and that’s when Gun Woo notes that he can see through her pajamas when she stands next to the windows. She might want to change her clothes…

Soon Geum squeaks and scurries to her bedroom. Gun Woo: “Heh. I was kidding.” So ADORABLE. Sorry. Ahem*

He cooks hangover stew for her to eat. Purpose of his visit? So the landlady kind of got pissed at him for breaking the metal stairs and so he got kicked out. (That’s a lie by the way.) He wants to stay with Soon Geum; he’ll do all the housework for her since he really has no money. Their situation is now reversed, and it echoes back to earlier conversations the two of them had. Gun Woo promises he’ll do everything he can even if he doesn’t have money.

Soon Geum doesn’t want him around. It’s not because she’s embarrassed of him, but rather because she feels bad that the man she used to like has become something like a maid. She also is afraid he may leave her again, since he did it before, and she’s worried he has no money.

Never fear, Soon Geum dear! Even Young Hee knows his buddy has money, and when they meet up, Gun Woo tells Young Hee to keep his wealth a secret from Soon Geum.

Soo Jung joins an exclusive gym and sees Tae Won exercising there. True to his word, he refuses to make eye contact or speak to her. That’s when Soo Jung drops a nugget of information – she knows where Yoon Joo is. Tae Won pretends the news doesn’t affect him, even though it does. Later, Soo Jung sends him a video message blackmailing him – if he wants to know where Yoon Joo is, he must look at her in the eye just once. Tae Won is too proud for that, and he throws his phone across the room.

As for Hyun Joo, she’s still working at the same restaurant, and Hwang Yong is still patronizing it every night. As the only female waitress in the restaurant, she gets hassled by a group of drunk guys. Hwang Yong stands up and overturns their table in anger over their mistreatment of her. He then throws money on the ground, paying for their meal, but that’s when the guys gang up on him. Hwang Yong quietly takes in all the punches until they leave.

Hyun Joo dabs a wet rag over his bloodied mouth, and Hwang Yong confesses: he bought the restaurant she works at. He comes every day because he just wants to eat her food. Could she please come and cook for him every day? Though he seems to objectify her as comfort food, he’s sincere. She’s the only woman who ever looked after him, and so he wants to do the same for her. And… Hyun Joo accepts. They kiss shyly. Aw – happy ending for our middle aged couple!

Da Kyum, now the owner of Young Hee’s home, calls him over to the house. He’s annoyed she’s kept the same furnishings – heh. She announces that she wants to go to college – there are hotter guys there. Young Hee actually smiles at the fact that Da Kyum has now let go of him. She wants him to tutor her, and in exchange she will pay him a large tutoring fee: his grandfather’s one true original painting.

Soo Jung, Zar Lin, and Da Kyum remain close and so they hang out one afternoon planning for a way to reunite Soon Geum and Gun Woo. They decide to do it on Hyun Joo’s birthday, and take it as an opportunity to reunite everyone in one place and play some Go-Stop while watching the lottery draw. Good ol’ times.

Gun Woo phones Yoon Joo, who’s surprised to hear him. He tells her that his father never sold her car, so she should go back to First Street and pick it up, and see him as well. He calls her “Mother,” which surprises her. “Aren’t we a family?” he says.

Hyun Joo is thrilled to be invited – and not having to cook for once – and the guests come trickling in. First it’s Gun Woo; Soo Jung tries to make it all seem exciting that he’s there, but Soon Geum only looks at him sourly. Then it’s Young Hee, and Hwang Yong with a bouquet of flowers. Everyone teases that Hwang Yong is so cheap; he should have brought a diamond ring or lots of money instead for Hyun Joo! But Hyun Joo grabs the flowers and says they don’t know anything. Cue: “OOOOoooOOOh!” Who ever said this group of people were mature?

They split up into Go-Stop pairs: Hwang Yong with Hyun Joo, Zar Lin with Soo Jung, Da Kyum with Young Hee, and Soon Geum with Gun Woo.

Soon Geum and Gun Woo win early, so they leave the game. She starts making her famously delicious kimchi pancakes, and he asks if it’s possible for her to bring some to his father. His father is now incredibly lonely, and it’s kind of pitiful. Though he looks down on the both of them, he can’t deny that Soon Geum is number one at making pancakes.

Tae Won is none too pleased to see them there, and he immediately assumes that Gun Woo is now crawling back to him, needing money and a place to stay. Soon Geum pops up from behind Gun Woo to present the kimchi pancakes. Gun Woo announces that they’re seeing each other again, without Tae Won’s consent. After all, she’s the only woman who’s ever accepted him when he has no money. They drop off the pancakes, and invite Tae Won to join them at Soo Jung’s house every Saturday to play Go-Stop with all of them.

Of course, Tae Won resists, but when he’s alone, he can’t help but sneak a bite of the pancake. And then he gobbles it all up. Haha – Tae Won may be evil, but he’s perfectly pitiful and lonely as well.

Back at Soo Jung’s home, they all fight over how much each person owes the other, and their arguments take on a more comical, petty tone. Da Kyum and Young Hee present some bibimbap, and Gun Woo offers the first spoonful to Soon Geum. She resists, but everyone tells her that she should just accept him feeding her. How many guys would love her for being a maid? It’s just one delicious spoonful, and his arm will fall off if she doesn’t accept it anytime soon. Soon Geum grudgingly opens her mouth, and again everyone goes “OOOOoooOOOh!” I’m surprised no one has broken out singing, “Gun Woo and Soon Geum, sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

Zar Lin turns on the TV for the lottery draw again, and Gun Woo throws out an idea – how about they all purchase another lottery ticket? As one pool, and share the winnings? Everyone’s faces darken – they are not going to go through this again. (Oh thank God.)

Yoon Joo does return to First Street, and she pauses in front of the house. However, she decides to turn her back from all of it again. That’s when she gets a phone call from “Husband;” she didn’t even change Tae Won’s name in her address book.

The former maids all gather in the kitchen to light the cake, effectively shutting all the men out. (Heh.) They decide to put 35 candles on the cake to represent the cumulative number of years they’ve all worked as maids. In front of the burning candles, each maid reflects on her own life.

Soo Jung remembers her constant feeling of fear, afraid that she’d be fired from her job and left homeless and penniless. Hyun Joo can’t forget the injustice of having to serve a madame and work so hard, when both were equals as women and people. Da Kyum can’t forget the shame, as she was unable to tell anyone that she was a maid even though her job is less demeaning than being a bar hostess and constantly being fondled as an object rather than a person. Zar Lin remembers not being trusted, and always being the first suspect when something went missing. And Soon Geum remembers the indifference, never realizing until she became a maid that people could forget other humans’ existence even if they live in the same house.

They wipe away their tears and sorrows, and vow to live well from now on. They each make their silent wish, and blow the candles out together.

Comments: I think that was one of the most perfect endings for a drama that gives a contemplative, slice of life look into the lives of people we usually ignore. This series was deep and thoughtful, full of characterizations, and stocked with plenty of social commentary. What’s amazing is that at the end of this drama, I ended up hating no one, even if I disliked them at one point or another.

I do think that the last two episodes were a bit heady and rushed; first there was money, then there wasn’t, then there was again. Soon Geum and Gun Woo were torn apart for reasons I couldn’t really understand, and then miraculously came back together again. All of a sudden, Hwang Yong loved Hyun Joo.

Looking back at all my previous comments for each episode, I realize that I was spot-on for some things (such as this drama being quite a bumpy roller coaster) but overall very pleased with the actors and the characterizations that were presented. Everyone evolved in some way based on how much or little we saw of their lives. The theme of money being the equivalent of power and happiness was sometimes executed heavy-handedly in certain episodes, but it didn’t make the drama any worse.

If anything, I appreciate this drama similarly to how I appreciated Dr. Champ. It was another character study that allowed you to root for the characters rather than the story. The plot became secondary, and that’s what made the ending that much more meaningful.

I hope you all enjoyed this drama in some form or another!

RELATED POSTS

• Romance Town: Episode 18
• Romance Town: Episode 17
• Romance Town: Episode 16
• Romance Town: Episode 15
• Romance Town: Episode 14
• Romance Town: Episode 13
• Romance Town: Episode 12
• Romance Town: Episode 11
• Romance Town: Episode 10
• Romance Town: Episode 9
• Romance Town: Episode 8
• Romance Town: Episode 7
• Romance Town: Episode 6
• Romance Town: Episode 5
• Romance Town: Episode 4
• Romance Town: Episode 3
• Romance Town: Episode 2
• Romance Town: Episode 1